The Lost Prince
by Russethawk
Summary: Ha, I suck at these... Kopa, son of Simba, was born before Kiara. What happened to him? Why were the Outlanders formed? This is his story. -Music Not Included-
1. Prolouge

No, I do not own The Lion King or any of these characters, if you can't figure it out.

I'm just a fan, yeah.

(Yeah, the prolouge's short, but there's not much to say...)

--

The rain was pouring hard on the barren savannah. Smoke still filled the air from the recent fire. Lion's roars echoed through the skies, celebrating. Yet below Pride Rock, by a tree that was black to the roots, were three who did not join the victory.

One lay at the roots of the tree. He had dark brown fur, and a black mane wich was now matted and bloody. A scar came over his left eye, a showing of his burden of a past. Claw and bite marks covered his body, the king's time was over. Scar was dead.

A pregnant lioness stood above him, tears willing out of her eyes. She pressed her muzzle to his, murmuring softly. Zira shook her head, glaring at the top of Pride Rock, where Simba now stood, in the place her mate should have ruled for much, much longer.

Stumbling on his feet, a tiny cub padded over to the dead lion. His dark fur matching that of the one he walked to. He butted Scar half-heartedly, "Hey, dad. Wake up!" He looked up at the lioness, sobbing, "Mother, why isn't he waking up?"

She crouched down, gently licking her cub, "Nuka, oh Nuka. Your father is dead, my little one."

Nuka pressed his fur to his mother, silently crying. Zira blinked, looking to the sky. "Nuka, shh.. Look up," she lifted her cub's head with her maw, "You see up there? Every star is a king who now watches you. The brightest one, up there, is Scar. Remember him, for he was a great king."

The cub watched the sky with wonder. Zira looked away, and saw a regal lion stalking toward her, his reddish mane glistening in the rain like fire. He frowned, then growled, but said nothing, and turned away. Zira snarled, and deep in her heart, vowed that one day she would have her revenge.


	2. The Circle of Life

It was a time for celebration. The sky painted like fire in the morning, as if the recovering land was burning yet again. All the beasts of the land gathered around Pride Rock, the elephants raising their trunks and the monkeys howling with glee. Everyone, from the ant to the zebra came together in this one spot, in the presentation of their new king.

A lioness stayed in the shade nearest the peak, a tiny cub resting in her paws. The king, an image of his father, padded up to them, giving a fiendly lick to his mate. The cub stirred, opening his eyes. An elderly lioness stood behind them, giving a warm smile at the new life. "He looks even more like Mufassa than you, Simba."

Simba looked down at his cub, nudging him softly, "Kopa. I like that name,"

It was then that a familiar stick-hitting-rock noise came from nearby. Simba grinned, now everyone was here. The old mandrill, Rafiki, came up to the four in a human-like gait, twisting his hand and giving a hug to Simba.

The noise below quieted down. Rafiki shook the stick, making a rattling noise to catch Kopa's attention. The cub blinked up in surprise. The mandrill took a pile of sand, dusting over the cub, getting a tiny sneeze in return. He took the fruit from his stick, and pulled it in half with a pop. He spread a little of the red juice on Kopa's forhead, comleting the part of the ritual.

Rafiki took Kopa in his hands, and turned to face the peak of Pride Rock. Sarabi gave a reasurring nod to Simba and Nala, and the two followed. The short silence was almost deafaning. A few moments, and Rafiki lifted the cub for every beast to see.

The throng was loud, but slowly and surely bowed down to the new prince. Even the clouds parted to bring in shafts of light, shining on Kopa in approval. A hornbill flew with the wind, calling his greetings to the King. Even the air seemed to dance to celebrate.

Yet, even though the presentation was at it's full, in a hollow at the back and base of Pride Rock, Zira did not attend. She lay at the ground, gasping in pain at her spasms. Nuka murmured to his mother, trying to encourage her. He didn't know what else to do.

Painful moments came, and no one was there to help her. Zira gave one final push, and a tiny cub was born. She grinned, picking the cub up and placing it at her belly. Nuka came closer, sniffing it, "Mother, who's that?"

Zira licked the scrap, who was suckling greedily. She gave a close look, then concluded, "Nuka, this is your little sister." Scar was also her father, the preganancy took a strangely long time.

Nuka grinned, butting her. She stopped suckling and squeaked, then gave a sharp growl and slashed at her brother."Ow!" He stepped back, his muzzle had a small scratch, bleeding a little.

Zira laughed, giving the cub a gentle lick, "You're a fiestly little one, arn't you?" She looked out at the sky, in deep thought. The winds seemed to whisper in her ears, "I will call you, Vitani."

"Mother, it hurts!" Nuka whines, coming closer to his mother.

Letting out a growl, Zira snapped at her son, "Clean it at the watering hole!"

The cub sniffed, walking out of the hollow with with his head low. Nuka, the name fit him well, or at least in Zira's eyes. Trash, filth. Ever since Scar had died, he was always depressed and unfaithful.

The noise of the animals died down, the ceremony was over. Rafiki gave Kopa to Nala, who picked him up by the scruff. Simba gazed around the clearing. The animals were leaving, and he scanned the lionesses near the entrance to the cave. He bared his teeth. Zira wasn't there. "Simba, where are you going?" A voice called from behind him.

"Not now, Timon," he looked back,a little merrkat staring at him with confusion in his eyes.

It may have seemed strange to any come-byers. What was the prey doing with the predator? Especially if there was a fat warthog nearby. The two had a history with Simba that goes way back to his past, orders have been sent that they are not food.

Zira was licking Vitani as she purred at her belly. Everything was still, Vitani's quiet breathing the only sound in the air. Zira flicked her ears. No, the steps were too heavy to be Nuka. She glanced up, and in came Simba, his teeth bared.

"I didn't see you at Kopa's presentation," He faced Zira.

"Oh, so I'm supposed to give birth of _my own _cub while I watch _yours_ being honoured?" She said sarcastically, "You know, it would be_ Vitani _up there instead of your little_ brat _if you hadn't killed _Scar_."

Simba sighed, looking Zira in the eye. There was a pause, then, "Alright." He sighed, " But Zira, I want to tell you somthing. In my life, I learned to put my past behind me, maybe you should do the same," he looked out of the hollow, "Oh, and I thought I saw your cub out there on your own, He didn't look too good."

Zira snarled. He showed concern for _Scar's_ cub? Who was he, but a soft idiot without any experience? She sniffed. She would never put her past behind her. Scar was the _true_ king.


	3. All's Fair in a Fight

A laugh echoed in the air, brining new joy as the dawn painted the new sky with vivid colour. Kopa, now much past being newborn, padded out of the cave. Simba stalked behind him, letting out a huge yawn. Kopa weaved through Simba's legs, and then asked, "Okay, can I go now?"

Simba grinned, licking the dark brown tuft of fur on Kopa's head, "Alright, alright. But remember, don't go too far from Pride Rock, and be back here when the sun has reached it's highest."

Kopa nodded, bouncing on his feet with imaptience, "Don't worry dad, I'll be back!"

Simba butted his son, pushing him slightly forward, and gave a slight laugh, "And don't try to get into trouble, trust me, you won't like it." The words held more meaning than he understood.

Kopa rolled his eyes, "Okay, okay," he shared the same tone as his father, "I'm going!" And with that, he bounded down the stones.

A lioness walked out of the cave calmly, purring as she put her head to Simba's mane, "He's just like you."

"Yeah, just like me."

--

Kopa slipped down, reaching the ground. For the first time he could feel the dirt beneath his claws, and look at the newly growing grasses up close. He hadn't moved, just looked around in awe as the dawn made everything look like fire. He twitched his ears, narrowing his eyes on a beettle. Kopa licked his maw, and crouched, padding forward slowly. He tensed to spring, then stopped, stiffening in surprise.

He relaxed, groaning, "Timon!"

The meerkat glanced at him after licking his fingers clean, then laughed, "With grubs, be quick, or you won't catch 'em!" Kopa grimaced, who would want to eat _bugs?_

A deep, breaking voice then came from behind him, "You should try somee!"

Letting his tongue out, Kopa turned to face Pumbaa. "Yuck! I don't care if dad ate them when he was little, it's disgusting!"

Timon shrugged, walking over to a nearby log, "Suit yourself. More grubs for us." Pumbaa nodded in agreement and went to join him.

Kopa stalked away, not wanting to stay. Timon had his good moments, but still... Why Pumbaa? He looked so tasty, and fat... As he walked absent mindedly, lost in his thoughts, Kopa didn't realise he had reached the back of pride rock, where the sun barely touched the earth.

He blinked, looking up. The dirt between his claws had grown cool. He didn't why, but there were some lionesses who lived here. Simba didn't trust them much, especially the one who seemed in charge of their little group, Zira.

Two cubs tussled on the ground, at the center of the clearing. Nuka was larger than even Kopa, biting into Vitani's ear and pulling upward. Vitani, the smae age as Kopa, bared her teeth and clawed at her big brother, causing him to let go. Unsheathing his claws, Nuka gave a small roar and slashed at Vitani. Sidestepping, she barely got out of the way. They both then stopped, looking at Kopa as he stared at them back.

Vitani sniffed, "What're you doing here, scrap?"

Kopa bared his teeth. "Oh, he think he can go anywhere because he's the_ prince_," Nuka retorted.

"Get lost!" Vitani growled, stalking up to Kopa, "We don't want to talk to _Simba's_ son."

Kopa blinked, and tilted his head, "Why's that? It's not like _I'm_ the one who killed Scar or anything. If you should hate someone, don't hate me. Hate Simba."

"Oh, but we _do_ hate Simba," Nuka snarled, "He probably taught you about how horrible we are, _Scar's kin_."

"Wel, he's my Granduncle," Kopa grinned in victory, "So I'm technically his kin."

Nuka then roared, "Oh, if you're his kin, then you must be able to_ fight _like him, too!" He tensed, then leapt at Kopa.

Some of lionessed looked up from their rest, twitching their ears with intrest. That one moment seemed long full of everything. The air was tense for that single second, then errupted into sound with Nuka's shout.

Startled, Kopa unsheathed his claws. The two cubs were in a rolling ball of tooth and claw. Kopa scratched at Nuka's flank, countered with a bite to the neck. Kopa gasped as the light teeth sinked shallowly into his skin, not to the point of bringing blood. Nuka thrust him down, and sat on him, pinned. There was no struggle, he was trapped. Nuka lifted a paw to bat at Kopa. "Hey, that's not fair! You're just sitting on me like a lazy warthog!"

"All's fair in a fight," Nuka grinned in victory, lowring his paw.

Then he was taken by surprise. Kopa growed and slashed at Nuka's belly with his hind claws. Nuka howled, then stepped back. Kopa leapt up and butted him forward until he fell into a small ditch. Nuka licked his belly, then glared up, "Hey, we were done! That was not..."

Kopa lifted his eyebrows, "Oh, but _all's fair in a fight_."

Vitani was giggling, and stood at Kopa's side. She butted him lightly in the shoulder, "You're pretty good at fighting!"

"Th-thanks!" Kopa blinked, looking toward Vitani.

Nuka spit dirt out of his mouth and climbed out of the ditch. The scratches on his belly weren't bleeding. He shook the matted, wiry black tuft of fur on his head, and sat down on Kopa's other side. Vitani gave a look to Nuka, and he nodded. "So... Now what?" Vitani asked.

Kopa shrugged, then suddenly had the air knocked out of him. Vitani butted him on one side, making him stumble to his feet, while Nuka leapt and pinned Kopa down again. For a second he was startled, then realised there was laughter in the sibling's eyes.and their claws sheathed, "Hey, let me up!" He frowned in an almost comical way.

"No more fight in you, scrap?" Vitani raised her eyebrows.

The siblings let go of Kopa. Panic slowly began to creep into Kopa's fur as he realised the sun was almost at it's highest. He sighed, the time was so hard to read in this hollow! He padded up toward the edge, then looked back, "I gotta go, dad's gonna worry about me."

Nuka rolled his eyes, Vitani nodded, "Aww, alright. Come back soon, 'kay?"

Kopa grinned, "Sure, I'll be back as soon as I can!" He ran off, hoping he'd be back on time.

Simba was waiting near where he saw Timon and Pumbaa, his espression more content than worried. He looked at Kopa as he stumbled toward him, and sighed, "Well, I guess you've made it."

Kopa grinned, flicking his tail, "It was fun!" Simba grinned, listening, "I went to the back of Pride Rock, and met Nuka and Vitani, and..." Simba's expression grew more serious as the story went on.

"You got in a fight?" He checked Kopa over, looking for any injuries.

Kopa rolled his eyes, "Yeah, dad. Don't worry, though, It's not like I got really _hurt_ or anything." Nuka's bite still stinged, however.

"Be careful next time," Simba looked his son in the eye, "Don't kill yourself in pointless fighting, Kopa."

--

Zira stretched, opening her jaws wide in a roar-like yawn. She padded out of the den which was once Scar's, his scent still, faintly on the walls. She blinked, Nuka and Vitani were talking? In hushed voices nonetheless. The padded toward them, "You had better not be doing something I wouldn't like," She growled.

Nuka blinked, Vitani looked at her mother. "Oh, it's nothing, really..." Then her mouth slipped.

"You were playing with_ Simba's _son!?' Nuka cringed at Zira's voice.


End file.
